Wear It Beat It Day

Today 7 million people in the United Kingdom will fight their daily battles with cardiovascular disease. Today 435 people will lose that battle; today 110 of them will be under the age of 75. Today 530 people will go to the hospital with a heart attack; today 190 of those people will die. Today 657 people will have a stroke; today 109 of them won’t survive. Today 12 babies will be diagnosed with a congenital heart defect; today 1 of them won’t get to grow up. Today 82 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests will occur; today less than eight of them will live to see tomorrow.

Today 34% of people in the United Kingdom will live with high blood pressure; today over half of them will continue to go without treatment. Today 6% of the population has diabetes; today that number does not include the estimated one million who remain undiagnosed. Today 27% of people in the United Kingdom will be obese; today 34% of them are overweight. Today 25% of people will exceed the national alcohol intake recommendations. Today 39% of people will not get adequate physical activity. Today 25% of people will not eat enough fruit and vegetables. Today 17% of people will smoke a cigarette; today smoking-induced cardiovascular complications will kill 55 people.

Today you can do something about these numbers. Today you can maintain a healthy weight. Today you can quit smoking. Today you can get cardiovascular exercise. Today you can eat balanced diet. Today you can visit your doctor and get heart-checked.

Today is Wear It Beat It Day. Today we wear red to raise awareness about heart disease. Today we stand in solidarity with those effected. Today we honor the lives lost and lived to and with cardiovascular disease. Today we donate to fund lifesaving research. Today we fight heart disease.